Improvement in washing-machines



R. G. BALDWIN. Washing-Machine.

Patented July 30,1878.

N.FEYERS, PHD

U ITED STATES PATEN OF RANSOM Gr. BALDIVIN, OF OSKALQOSA, IOIVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 206,522, dated July 30, 1878; application filed May 7, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RANSOM G. BAL WIN, of Oskaloosa, in the county of Mahaska and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the clamp, cross-bar, and pegs, of my improved washing-machine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

My invention relates to rotary washing-mamachines; and it consists in an improved construction and combination of parts, substantially as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawing, A is the tub, which may be square, round, or of any other suitable sh ape, and is supported upon legs a. B is the cloth or draining board, secured, in a slanting position, in one end or side of the tub, and having perforations for the insertion of the legs or staples of a wringer, G. D is the cover, which is hinged to the upper edge or rim of the tub opposite to the draining-board B, upon the front end of which it impin gcs when closed, as shown in the drawing. E'is a perforated false bottom, inserted into the tub A to prevent the clothes from coming in contact with the sediment on the bottom of the tub, or with the bottom itself when this is made of zinc or other metal.

Upon the top of the hinged cover are secured the uprights b b, for supporting the gearing for operating the machine. This consists of a bevel drive-wheel, F, which meshes with a pinion, G, keyed upon a short vertical shaft, 0, which passes through a sleeve or collar in the cover. The drive-wheel F has a bandle, (I, by which it is operated, and is cast upon a solid hub, j, which has an axial recess or depression, 0 e, on each side, into which fit the rounded ends of pins 9 g, screwed into the uprights b b, one on each side.

To facilitate their adjustment in the uprights, the outer ends of the bearingpins or shafts g g are squared off to fit a key or wrench; and to prevent them from working loose after they have been once adjusted each has a nut, h h, screwed closely up against the bearing.

By this construction and arrangement the drive-wheel may readily be so adjusted laterally as to compensate for wear, and always mesh evenly and smoothly with its pinion G. It also decreases friction, as the shafts g 9 only pass into, but not through, the hub of the drive-wheel.

The lower part of the pinion-shaft c, which passes down into the tub, is screw-threaded, and has a perforation, into which is inserted a pin or key, 1'. Upon this screw-threaded part of shaft 0 is inserted a clamp-plate, H, which is simply a plate having its sides bent to form parallel right-angled flanges k k, and is provided with .a central perforation, l, and a groove, m, running transversely across plate H and the perforation l, as shown more clearly in Fig. 27- Glamp H is inserted upon shaft 0 by passing this througlr the perforation Z and fitting pin 6 into the transverse groove or recess m, which will prevent the plate from turnin g to either side. The cross-bar I is then inserted upon the shaft 0 and fitted in between the flanges 70 7a of clamp-plate If, after which the whole is tightened down and firmly secured upon the shaft by a j am-nut, n.

The pegs K K, for stirring the clothes, are secured in the ends of cross-bar I; but, while I have shown only one crossbar and two pegs in the drawing, it is obvious that by a slight modification in the shape of the clamp-plate H, so as to make this with flanges crossing each other at right angles, two cross-bars, having two pegs each, may be used, if it is desired to use my improved machine with four or more pegs instead of two.

I am aware that, broadly, it is not new to clamp the stirrer and its immediate drivingshaft together by a plate having depending flanges bearin g against the outer sides of the cross-bars of the stirrer, nor to adjust the stirrer upon the said shaft by means of said clamp and a holding-nut placed, respectively, above and below its cross-bars.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- In a washing-machine, the pinion-shaft a, driven by the beveled wheel I, suitably journaled. upon the tub A, in combination with the pin i, passing through said shaft, plate H, provided with a groove, m, to receive the pin i, and with (lownwardly-proj ecting flanges 70, embracing the crossbar I, carrying pins K K, and fitting on the shaft 0, and jam-nut n, all

constructed as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RANSOM G. BALDWIN.

Witnesses:

WM. TOLBERT, JOHN REUM. 

